NYC hidden dining gems: fried pizza at Don Antonio

Getting even a half-decent meal near Times Square poses its challenges. venture over to 50th Street near 8th Ave and you’ll be transported out of adults-in-Cookie Monster-costumes-land to the streets of Naples, Italy at Don Antonio.

Opened in 2012, Don Antonio serves a less familiar style of pizza: pizza fritta, or fried pizza. While pizza fritta is the umbrella term for America’s favorite food in fried form, with the most popular variation being calzone, Don Antonio is best known for their pizza montanara. (Don’t worry calzone lovers — they have them, too)). Montanara is fried dough, topped with all of the regular pizza fixings: sauce, cheese, maybe a veg or a cured meat if you’re feeling fancy.

While it’s difficult to trace back the origins of pizza fritta, its popularity in Naples rose after World War II. By the end of the war, Naples and its many beloved ovens were all but destroyed. Classic Neapolitan pizza was considered a luxury so the locals innovated and began frying their dough. To this day, a visit to Naples isn’t complete without trying pizza fritta, but New Yorkers need not embark on a cross-Atlantic flight to try it.

Don Antonio is run by Italian-born pizzaiola Giorgia Caporuscio. She migrated to the States at 19 years old. To make ends meet, she worked in pizzerias where she was often both the youngest and the only woman making dough. Giorgia faced sexism in the industry, but instead of letting it stop her, she used the fuel to fire up her own restaurant.

Giorgia can often be found in the kitchen at Don Antonio, where on her record-breaking day, she made over 900 pizzas. With so many pizzerias in New York, what separates the ‘za at Don Antonio is the ingredients. The montanara classica, one of the best-sellers, is made with dough fried in Olitalia Sunflower oil with rosemary extract, topped with Ciao il pomodoro di Napoli sauce, Torre Lupara smoked buffalo mozzarella, and finished off in a 900-degree oven for 90 seconds, simply to cook off the excess oil. The result of this process is an addicting, crunchy crust with a pillowy soft interior.

The sauce on the montanara is simple: no garlic added (which is common of true Italian sugo, contrary to popular thought), and the smoked mozzarella gives an extra layer of pizazz. If fried pizza isn’t your thing, there are over 30 Neapolitan-style pizzas on the menu, all of which can be ordered gluten-free. Toppings include pistachio pesto, truffle cream, burrata and prosciutto.

In Italy, pizza is typically consumed with beer, but Don Antonio recommends it with a cocktail from their impressive list of libations. My personal favorite is “another mezcal cocktail,” made with mezcal, Cynar, amaro, pineapple, and ginger syrup. However, the Amalfi Sour, made with gin, limoncello, pineapple, and lemon, is the ideal summer drink.

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Pizza might be a traditional dish, typically made by men and typically paired with beer. But at Don Antonio, all of the rules are meant to be broken.

Address: 309 W 50th St, New York, NY 10019

Phone: (646) 719-1043

Price range: Cocktails$15-16, Pizzas $17 to $26, with a $4 addition for gluten-free requests

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day

No reservations, walk-in only. Take-out and delivery available.

Kaitlyn Rosati is a New York City-based food and travel journalist. She is constantly on the hunt to find the city’s best hidden gems, allowing New Yorkers to travel far without ever leaving the boroughs. Have a suggestion for a great hidden dining gem in your neighborhood? Reach out to Kaitlyn with your recommendations at [email protected].